Improvement in revolving fire-arms



J. GORDON.

No. 129 334 Pa tented l uly 16,1872.

UNITED "STATES JOHN GORDON, or SAN FRANGISOQUALIFORNIA.

' IMPRTO'VEMENT m REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

, Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,334, dated July16, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

Be it known that I, JOHN GORDON, of San Francisco, San Francisco county,State of To all whom it may concern:

California, have invented Improvements in Fire-Arms; and I do herebydeclare the following description and accompanying drawing aresufficient to enable any person skilled [in the artlor science to whichit most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention andimprovement without further inventionv through with the numerousmovements necessary for-ordinarybreech-loading or magazine guns.

In thepresent case my invention is shown as applied to arevolving-chambered gun; and

. it consists in the use of a seriesof levers and springs combined, ashereinafter described, so that. the hammer can be raised and the gun bemade ready to fire by pressing the butt of the stock against theshoulder. When the trigger is pulled the hammer falls and discharges achamber, and at the same instant another spring is released, which againraises the hammer to the position of full-cock, and also operates themechanism for revolving the cylinder, so that the next chamber isbrought into position. By again pressing the butt of the piece againstthe shoulder the firin g-sprin g is agaiii set, and all thechambers canthusbe discharged without removing the piece from theshoulder.

Referring to the accompanying drawing for a more "complete explanationof my invention-- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, ofthe piece, showing the mechanism set ready to be discharged. Fig. 2 is aside elevation, partly in section, showingthe' position of the mechanismafter the discharge.

A is the barrel of a gun. B is the revolving-chamber- (J, the small ofthe stock, and

y D the butt-piece. This butt is hollowed out so as to just slide overthe small of the stock, and it has a small movement back and forward forthe purpose of operating the mechanism, which is constructed asfollows:Eis

the hammer. F is'the'tumbler, mounted upon the tumbler-shaft G, whichcarries the hammer at its outer end. H is the trigger, which isconnected with the dog or catch I by a bar or link, J, as shown.

top of the tumbler, and thus retains the hammer at full-cock when thespring is set. The main-spring V has its front ,end connected with therear of the tumbler by a link, L. The rear end of the main-spring issecured to the lever M, so that it ordinarily lies closely against it 5.but when the gun is ready for firing its front end is separated orforced away from the. lever, as shown in Fig. 1. The elasticity of thisspring returns it to its place against the lever when the trigger ispulled and the tumbler released, so that the hammer falls. The lever Mhas its fulcrum at N,gand its rear end is connected with the curved orknee-lever'O by a link, P. The lever O is in turn connected with theoperating-bar Q by a link, R. From the front of the bar Q a plate orspring, S, extends forward, and is provided with a catch, t, near itsfront end. The' bar Q extends back through the small of the stock, andis secured to the butt-piece D by a screw or bolt, U.

The operation will be as follows: The gun being in its ordinaryst'atethat is, not set for firing-the parts will stand in the positionshown in Fig. 2. The main-spring V will be against the lever M, whichwill have its front end depressed, as shown, by the spring a, and bythis means the tumbler F will be drawn down so that the hammer willstand at fullcock and the catch I will be in position to hold it therewhen set. The parts being in position, the gun is brought to theshoulder and the butt D pressed firmly against it. This causes the boltU to force the bar-Q forward, thus carrying the spring S forward, untilthe catch t is held by the lug c, as

'shown'at Fig. 1. At the same time one arm of the knee-lever 0 is forcedforward by the bar Q and the other arm is drawn downward, thusdepressing the rear end of the lever M and elevating its forward end. Asthe tum-- bler is held in place by the catch I this movement of thelever M separates it from the spring V and thus gives it the necessarytension to force the hammer down when released.

PATENT OFFICE.

The spring K holds an catch down so that it falls into a notch in theThe trigger being pulled, the hammer falls upon the cap, which is placedupon the nipple,

and thus the gun is discharged. At the same instant'a lug, d, at thelower part-of the tumbler, is carried backward by its rotation so asstrike the spring S and release the catch t. This allows the spring a toact upon the lever M and depress the forward end to its first position,at the same time raising the hammer 'to the position of full-cock. Thebar Q'and catch 23 are also drawn back b'y'.the action of the lovers,The cylinderB is revolved in the ordinary manner by a pawl, e, which ispinned to one'side of the tumbler, and operates upon a ratchet, f, atthe rear of the cylinder. \Vhen the hammer falls the rotation of the.tumbler carries the pawl down one tooth .of

mechanism here shown, as the devices will be modified when applied tothe Henry, Spencer,

andother repeating or magazine arms; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is' v 1. Thebar Q, and the spring S with its 7 catch it, ineombination with' themovable butt D for setting and holding the mechanism,

substantially as herein described.

-2. In combination with the operating-bar Q and butt-piece D, I claimthe levers M and i O and the spring V, the wholeconstruetedto operatesubstantially as described.

3. The trigger H, connecting-bar J, holdin lever I, and tumbler F, whenconstructed and operated substantially as herein described. l l 4. Thelug d operated by the tumbler F for releasing the spring S,substantially as and v for the purpose above described. I

5. I claim the spring a in combinationlwith the lever M and main-springV, to return the parts to their position when released, sub-- stantiallyas and for the purpose above de-- scribed.

6. The combination of devices for automat- Q ically rotating thecylinder, consisting of the 1 levers M andO, springs a and V, tumbler F,

and pawl 0 operating the ratchet f, substan-' tially as and for thepurposes above described.

7. In combination with the 'sliding butt D,

I claim the mechanism, substantially as herein described, whereby themain-spring is made operative when. the butt is pressed forward.

hand.

.JOHN GORDOII. -[L. s.]- Witnesses:

.GEO. H. STRONG,

GEORGE WUEST, Jr.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my

